It's ironic that season 4 ended with Philip giving a speech about how their lives revolve around Elizabeth but in season 5 she is in the peripheral (kind of) while everyone else gets the spotlight.

This is exactly why I’m struggling with season 5. I think it’s also because it’s so close to the present that any portrayal was gonna go wrong no matter how much they tried to shift the details, most of all with Diana’s portrayal. It’s not surprising that Queen Elizabeth’s starting to become secondary. What was surprising was the amount of backsliding to make the characters seem out of touch. People can be out of touch without falling back to past assumptions or habits. Season 4’s conclusion felt like it was gonna buildup some great tension and Season 5 didn’t follow through. It felt rushed where they should’ve taken their time, almost like they were listing off events. For example, the revenge dress - there were so many things they could’ve pulled from that one moment alone: the tabloids, the development, and even the response. But it’s just blink and it’s over.

the showrunners are too focused on diana. if they wanted diana so much then they should make a separate show about diana. I am compelled to the show because of claire foy

The whole season made the Queen and Prince Philip seem like secondary characters, while making them appear totally alien to everyone else in the family too, which is just ridiculous. The entire season is just slanderous fan fiction which quite rightly hasn't been received very well.

Pity they made Elizabeth just a reactor to the rest this season. Imelda Staunton deserves more and even more awards!

This season really feel like a fan fiction while the other seasons feel more real then fan fiction. Also some of the actors are too good at their job, Dominic West is to good at acting that he doesn’t feel like Charles, sometimes I forget who he is playing and I am like who is he again. 😂

I may be mistaken, but, going back to season 4, I remember how they never showed Diana and Charles' wedding because "well, it was so well documented you can google it and watch the real thing why show it blah blah blah", and the whole episode felt a bit anticlimactic. It didn't really feel right for me. But now, listening to you, I am starting to finally get why it was done this way. Thanks for the great review!

Excellent argument 👌🏻 The show lost its essence and stray under the public pressures to deliver all the juicy gossip about Diana and others really turn its into sensational biopic, not what is originally planned to be, historical fiction that fill in the blank of private what-we-dont-know moments with fictional to explore the possibilities, the psychological, but just boring recreation of events.

Charles's carriage - riding? No, Philip's carriage - riding. Dude, this story is convoluted enough, without mixing up the names. Thanks for the video.

This is excellently laid out and I agree with many of the points made about Morgan "missing it" in Season five. Yes, what always made the Crown tick was Elizabeth's POV. How things centered around her of course. This rather mis-calculation of season five , *for me, also lies in the miscasting. He is Spot on about Debicki's Diana. She owns the role, physically and in demeanor. *Contrasting the miscasting of Staunton, (more of a Queen mother), West's Charles, and a poor choice for Phillip. All talented actors of course, a given. But this "Off" casting adds heavily to this somewhat "Off" season 5.

I’m so glad I’m not the only one disappointed with Season 5. The first 4 seasons were so well done and Season 4 really felt like it was building up to something, but we did not get that at all. I don’t understand why??? Did Covid affect the writing? To me it doesn’t really feel like an excuse. All the events in S5 are just there but it was not done in an interesting way. We had so much in the 90s that could make great story material, but even the Queen barely reacted to her children’s marriages breaking down and also her castle burning down in FIRE. Like seriously? As you said it feels like fan service now. I seriously hope S6 will do justice but I won’t keep my hopes up tbh. S5 was imo the worst out of the 5 seasons so far.

I think the main problem is that this season is more of a prologue for the Death of Diana Saga.

Just found your channel through this video and I think you're a great video essayist. Looking forward to seeing your future videos!

Another problem… they are telling us what we already know this season. 1-5 had the intrigue of pulling back the veil.

I think the coronavirus lockdowns and delays have had an effect on Season 5. I did feel the absence of the Queen from Season 5. Some of this may have been the result of stories surrounding her, but I think it may also have been the result of how to stage scenes with the various actors during the pandemic. My greatest disappointment was the episode that dealt with the fire of Windsor Castle and the attending marital crises within the family. The decommisioning of the HMS Britainnia was told with the kind of sense of loss that was missing from the fire.

Your essay is compelling and well written. (I say “written,” though it’s your narration; I’m an OG entertainment journalist from the print days, so there it is). Makes me want to start it all over and watch more than just episodes here and there. I’ve known the show has “merit” but your take suggests levels of success and failure within a work with more than just TV-level significance.

Spot on. It’s no longer about the crown

Honestly, I love your dissection of this but I think the reason the Crown falls flat is because it's tone deaf. Ever since Parasite, we've seen White Lotus and Jordan Peele's stuff and it has all been very class conscious. The Crown is blatantly pro monarchist and with the current state of affairs in Britan, this is kind of blind, really. I cannot but appreciate the artistic merits of this series, however, the politics of it are impossible to ignore. But again, this is an excellent analysis and I really do look forward to seeing more of your work!

I completely agree with your assessment. Season 5 lacked that heart. I felt like she was just there and would appear occasionally through out the episodes. Also definitely not as heart wrenching as the previous seasons.

Doesn't give the same vibes that's for sure. As an aviation geek though I enjoyed the BAe 146 plane appearances. That's about it.

I think you are right, Diana moved the Queen to the background. Queen Elizabeth was a fascinating person, her whole life. Should have kept her central to this story. I find myself really not caring about the monarchy since she passed.

As the daughter of a former English teacher, may I correct your use of the word "disinterest?" The word "uninterested" means "not interested" and the word "disinterested" means impartial or objective.

I completely lost patience with this piece when the creator repeatedly confused Charles for Phillip and actually posted this.

The common thread of the reviews is that the show is catching up to present day. It's catching up to the modern day where the royals feel more and more out of place. The 90's was kind of a mess within the family, and the outside culture, and the show reflects that. Elizabeth lost control within the family because she never fully had it. The Queen feeling totally overwhelmed by a hundred cable channels was an apt metaphor. Also there was a Prince Charles break dancing scene. Which was REAL. Enough said.

I stared to feel like there wasn’t enough queen in season 4. I only made it though 3 episodes of season 5. I will eventually finish but it just didn’t grab me like before

Essentially, the Crown has a lot of interesting things to talk about, but chooses to not talk about any of them, maybe only mentioning it in passing. Season 5’s era of the 90’s arguably is the most interesting of Elizabeth II’s reign, but nothing really happens lol. Maybe the show runners respected the monarchy too much? It feels that way.

0:58 I just can’t imagine the Queen would ever have to beg him not to flirt with a secretary like that. She was so stoic and regal, I can’t see her gaggling over him this far in. When they were younger it made sense. If he was still a dog she’d have turned a blind eye to it and gone to do her own thing, preferably at Balmoral

I agree with your assessment that Peter Morgan's motivation is The Queen - and NOT the people in The Crown's orbit. I have not yet watched Season 5, but if what you're saying is accurate, then it makes sense: The Crown did in fact become second fiddle to those orbiting The Queen. A la"marionettes," the British Royal Family divested itself of whatever sacred quality it had left in order to remain relevant. What this means, in practice, is that the British Royal Family became little more than glorified celebrities - eschewing its Duty to serve as the proper model of the Family. The musings of Her Late Majesty's family during the time period in which Season 5 is set is more "hungry for spotlight Meghan Markle" and less "Loyalty to the Ideal you've inherited is your Duty, above everything else" and "my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be dedicated to your service." At the core, Peter Morgan seeks to answer the question: what becomes of your humanity when it is your duty to lead and model? No one makes a better case study for that type of inquiry than The Queen.

Exceptional analysis! And this is coming from someone who has never watched a single episode of “The Crown”. I aspire to be as good an essayist as you one day. You’ve just earned yourself a new subscriber! I’m excited to see what media you will turn your looking glass to next.

Elizabeth Debecki and Dominic West performances were brilliant. Jonny Lee Miller was an absolute surprise and a gem. However the fail was in Imelda Staunton’s performance. She was played the Queen as a posh aristocrat rather than a woman tied to living in extraordinary circumstances. This was beautifully portrayed by Claire and Olivia but Imelda’s come across as meh, bland and empty which is a shame because she is an amazing actress. Her role as Dolores Umbridge in the Harry Potter series is chilling - and scares me to this day, so really disappointed as to how she approached this role.

At least Morgan knows the queen’s husband’s name was Phillip. Keep stammering into your microphone while picking apart someone else’s work.

At 23:23 you meant Prince Phillip i presume. :D It is quite interesting and alarming how a movie and series interpretations can change people's opinion about certain characters. After watching The Crown my feelings for Diana and Charles were that they are both simply annoying. How they cannot accept their given roles in life. That they enjoying the limelight, but at the same time they are feeling so caged and limited in their lives. After a while I felt so tired watching these poor rich people sitting in palaces, moaning about how hard life is... And in the contrast of the whole series, the only person who knows her place is the queen herself. She can cope with her role, she is strong enough to understand what it takes and accept it. Also there is lot of going on how generations differ: Elisabeth/Phillip generation - during/post WWII, stoic people who get things done, hold their heads high, just go on with life. Diana/Edward generation - spoiled, fragile, not able to brace themselves (maybe just for short periods), working against the institution, do not have discipline. And there were several happenings in the series where I just raised and eyebrow and said...okay...whatever...that's creepy...

Would love you to make a video on Season 6!

Beautifully done! Succinct, thoughtful, and honest. Subscribed!

This is an interesting take and I don’t meant to be rude but you clearly mixed up Charles and Philip for a whole segment towards the end.

i love the video and thank you so much for your work into this! but CC is really important for hard of hearing and deaf individuals!! it would be so much more enjoyable if i could know what was being said without rewinding and pausing everything i’m doing 😅

I found last season very week. The only episodes I liked were the one about Dodi’s father and Russian royals. I kept hoping the season would improve but it never happened. I was looking forward to Annus Horrubilus episode and then it ended up being about effing Margaret.

So is there gonna be a follow up to the final season of The Crown?

This just showed up at the top of my homepage btw

Unfortunately as the Crown moved closer towards the 80’s & 90’s Diana’s death is one of those can’t not be addressed, that being said it is possible for her and Charles to have focus while not being THE focus. Something else that bothered me was the casting of Jonathan Pryce as Prince Phillip, I think Pryce is an incredibly talented and tremendous actor, but he felt miscast for this role. I could but that Tobia’s Phillip was an evolution of Matt Smiths but Pryce didn’t feel that way for me. I also wish we could’ve gotten more humorous moments with Imelda as the Queen as well.

You called Philip Charles many times near the end of this video

Great review!!! Diana was important but not that important. In the 1880s there was a princess who was hugely popular and now no one remembers her. Diana is a popular figure but she was not historically important. Great review. I subscribed to your channel. Now I am going to watch that great BBC documentary about Princess Alice, Philip’s mom. Now there was a great lady.

Camilla wanted her cake and eating it to..she grosses me out. Princess Margaret was never the same after she.lost the love of her life, Peter Townsend. I love The Crown Seasons 1-4. BUT I love Jonathan Pryce as an older Phillip. Tobias Menzies is my favorite Philip

it feels like they didn't know what to do with philip this season so they recycled his season 2 cheating arc only this time it's emotional cheating. it's not in line with the character arc he'd had

And by this point Prince Phillip was no longer an outsider.because He himself said it took Him 40 years(1987) of marriage for become an inside! So it the 90's He was an insider.

This video is beautifully written

Is anyone else hearing that constant cricket noise in the background?

My sister in law loved the crown untill this season, she stoped watching it compleately. She said it was not the crown anymore.

Both main actors fail to show the character of their counterparts the Queen an the Prince, first of all, as they look nothing like them. But secondly they are just not believeable. On the other hand, the rather taller (than Di) actress portrays both the vulnerabilty an strength that was so Lady Di. As for the Mohamed an Sydney portrayal (in episode 3) it was done with such finesse a subtlety. It was very moving especially towards Sydney's death. It showed a real an emotional friendship as opposed to a servant an his master, as the roles were frequently reversed.

totally agree. i found the season uncouth, unrefined, boorish, with simplistic dialogues and two dimensional, caricatural characters.

"Your Godsons Wife!" Ya you mean his Godaughter? Lol. Is it me or did I not find the relationship that weird. I only found it weird that we never saw the Godson. Like where even are you dog? A lot of elderly people make intellectual freinds with youth. He seems to have plaid a (as he should) Godfather role in her life or somewhat of an uncle or freind.

This was the worst season. The writing was the reason for me. I felt casting was off. It felt like a cheap soap opera.

Ur accent makes “the crown” sound like, “the crone”, and I think that sums up what happened to the show pretty well

Queen was really wearing and twin-set and pearls.

Excellent analysis

Lol the episode of the Queen vs Philip's new gf ends with a kid giving the gf flowers instead of the queen What??? Dumb Philip isn't king where people follow his favorites, it's always about HER, THE Queen

I like this, but there's an incessant beeping in the background of this video that's driving me crazy

"What an utterly interesting look on The Crown and-- OH MY GOD MICHAEL SHEEN PLAYED TONY BLAIR????"

This season was just terrible. From the actor's dialects, body language and finally and most importantly the script is just, not even mediocre, less than mediocre. Additionally, i think the team behind this season is seriously trying to please the royal family, instead of giving us the truth, like the previous seasons, no matter what some viewers may say. No, it isn't fiction.

Excuse me. I haven’t watched since season 2. Is that the lady from Harry Potter?

Ouch. You just took it there.

It fell flat b/c Prince Phillip lost all his swagg and McNulty ain’t Charles. It was the bad casting that couldn’t execute.

Let’s be real they started to loose their originality after the first two seasons this last season was like the dying gasps of a person on life support terrible as it sounds and the actress that plays Princess Margaret in season 5 played as Margaret thatcher in a old old series from 2009

It was an amazing season! Yall some cry babies

Season 6 is even worse !

No wonder they have dark thoughts ! They live in darkness !!!

I don't understand this video. Family members like Philip and Diana, who had married into the family, had continued to struggle with feelings that they were outsiders even at this period in British history. Does this bother you? Did it ever occurred to you the series might be showing viewers that the Royal Family and British society were really beginning to show its flaws by the 1990s? Jonny Lee Miller's John Major made this perfectly clear in a line from the season's first episode. British society and the Royal Family have been revealing these flaws more than ever in the past several years. You sound like someone who demand perfection or near perfection in the portrayal of the late Queen or the Royal Family. These are not people who simply harbored minor flaws. They were FLAWED. And they still are. Perhaps Peter Morgan has finally realizes this.

Well in Season 1, episode 2 Queen Mary wrote a note which, whether she wrote it or not, is very true to this day. THE CROWN must always win, above personal opinion, likes and dislikes. The Crown wins. That is why the real Monarchy has succeeded to this day, non political, staying out of situations unless called for and the big one...being able to dissolve Parliament if the need arrives and has happened. Just think if America was still a British possession, The Monarch could dismiss the President and dissolve the government.

I wish they would have revisited the PM and his wife’s relationship

They only gave *one* episode for Leslie Manville to shine Peter Morgan what is WRONG with you?!

I bet that they would make the Royals as sympathetic as ever in Season 6, at the events of Diana death, and not critique non of their actions that lead to her deaths, and would stick to the official story.

At around minute three he had a little bit too much fun with the metaphors, I had to laugh out loud. Was it intentional to mirror the shows obsession with shallow and repetitive metaphors?

I found the Charles and Camilla scenes so hard to watch over n over. a broken record , was sick of them then and now sick of them again.

What is galling me about this show in general is that anyone who is uneducated about the actual history will believe this is exactly what has happened. Without that perspective of the truth of history, this is nothing more than what "50 Shades of Grey" was to being a paler version of "Twilight." I fell with Morgan he's too involved in placing his dolls on the canvas, but has little if no care in terms of telling the actual story. With an average person's attention span being non-existent, shows like this are to a degree responsible for creating black mark on history. Given the current spate of cult followers Harry and Meghan have, they watch this show religiously thinking whatever is in it is the actual historical record. And to me that's irresponsible and dangerous.

I honestly couldn't connect in any way shape or form to the supposed drama in the latter seasons of the series. It was almost exclusively obscenely wealthy, spoiled idiots bumbling from one petty problem to another and somehow getting attention by the public and politicians for it. It was maddening, as it is today. These twits are basically just there to generate content for the yellow press on the British taxpayers' dime.

You keep calling Philip Charles!

I believe they were forced to edit the queen's role down due to her death. Idk if there was a whole lot more to her in the original script but the shift from the crown to the diadem was for fan service for sure and I hope it lets up in the final season

Inverted commas - I think you mean quotes? '_' or "_"

ok buddy. Sorry, your comentary is too obtuse. I'm used to heavy wordage, but your thesis is often so incompehensible/dense at times I had to track back in the video to try and make sense of what you were saying. At this point, I already gave up trying. I suggest a revision of the narrative for the video. cheers and the best of luck.

S5 is hands down the weakest season of the crown

Wow, I couldn’t disagree more. Yep I have no idea why this is recommended to me.

The entire show is fan fiction, none of it’s the truth

The queen is a miscast very disappointing season 5

I hate this story line.

This narrator isnt a native English speaker/

Your critique is trash.